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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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306 squadron badge
23-06.1944 No. 306 Squadron Mustang III FB168 UZ-H Fl/Lt. Potocki VM DFC CV

Operation: Patrol

Date: 23rd June 1944 (Friday)

Unit: No. No. 306 (Polish) Squadron

Type: Mustang III

Serial: FB168

Code: UZ-H

Base: RAF Holmesley South, Hampshire

Location: Emergency airstrip in Normandy, France

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Jan 'Spud' Wladysaw Potocki CV. VM. DFC. P-1856 PAF Age 25. Safe

REASON FOR LOSS:

Weather for the day was fair and good visibility. Twelve aircraft from the squadron took off at 11.10 hrs – eight as fighter bombers and the remaining four as escort.

The squadron met fierce opposition from the Luftwaffe over Dreaux with several combats taking place. 

Squadron leader Janus Marciniak was shot down in Mustang FX970 UZ-C and killed. 

Fl.Lt, Tomanek, Fl/Lt. Budrewicz were also shot down, taken PoW  Fl/Sgt. Michalkiewicz shot down - evading capture.

Fl/Lt Potocki was also hit but managed to crash land at an allied emergency strip in Normandy returning to his unit later that day, taking a lift from France in a light aircraft. (his Mustang was destroyed)

Three other 306 Squadron aircraft suffered Cat B. damage on this operation. 





Jan 'Spud' Wladysaw Potocki - tet pilot at Avro Aircraft Company (courtesy Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Canada - see links)

Burial Details:

None - Fl/Lt. Jan 'Spud' Wladysaw Potocki CV. VM. DFC. survived the war, settling in Canada during the 1950's. 

Joined the Avro Aircraft Company as a test pilot. It had been reported that he did reach speeds of Mach 2 although the records show it was 1.9. 

Following the cancellation of the CF-105 he joined North American Rockwell, Also as a test pilot. Later, following an accident, not related to flying, he lost an eye so with his wife they purchased a Motel complex in Columbia, Ohio where, on 23rd December 1996 he died, age 77.

Researched for relatives of the pilot with thanks to the following for further information, Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Canada, Wilhelm Ratuszynsk our friend at Polish Squadrons Remembered, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses' Vol. 3, Wikipedia, Aircrew Remembered own archives.

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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